Despite the volume of passengers on ICE Air Operations, there are often plenty of empty seats on those planes. The audit analyzed 5,699 flights to find if ICE is using the planes to its full advantage. Of those flights, 299, or 5%, were less than 40% full. Another 754, or 13%, operated 40% to 60% full. If ICE had operated its flights at full capacity, it could have saved as much as $41.1 million.

The report also documented instances of deportees being flown around the United States, often back and forth between their original location and other cities several times, before finally being sent to their home countries.

ICE pays about $8,400 per hour to operate the charter planes, regardless of how many passengers they’re carrying.